Seeing Eina's lingering anxiety, Aiden continued his explanation. "This is a decision Robin, myself, and everyone else discussed thoroughly. Instead of letting everyone run wild with guesses and forcing the hands pulling strings in the dark to act against us, it's better to proactively play a card and put Robin's skill out in the open."
"Isn't... isn't that just throwing Miss Robin directly into the fire?!" Eina couldn't understand his logic at all.
"On the contrary," Aiden's eyes gleamed sharply. "It creates deterrence. How do you think the Guild will view Robin's existence?"
"The Guild?"
"Exactly. The Guild desires the birth of heroes. They desperately need the overall strength of adventurers to increase so they can suppress the increasingly unstable Dungeon. Robin is essentially a walking 'hero-manufacturing machine.' Her strategic value to Orario as a whole is irreplaceable. The Guild will become our first and strongest umbrella of protection."
"Secondly, consider the Loki and Freya Familias. Do you honestly believe those two Orario titans would just stand by and watch another faction snatch Robin away, shattering the current balance? The outcome they want most is, 'If I can't have her, you can't have her either.' Because of their mutual deterrence, a delicate equilibrium will form. As long as those two powerhouses don't make a move, no other Familia will have the strength or the guts to try and steal her."
Aiden's analysis plunged Eina into deep thought. Her sharp mind quickly grasped the intricate web of interests and consequences, though her underlying worries hadn't entirely dissipated.
"Furthermore, and this is the most crucial point," Aiden raised a single finger, a smile of absolute confidence surfacing on his face. "Even if they wanted to steal her, they can't do it right now."
"A Familia member cannot undergo Conversion if they haven't been in their current Familia for at least a full year. Robin hasn't been with us for anywhere near that long."
He paused, letting his overwhelming dominance and composure shine through.
"Which means they have to wait at least another half a year before they can even attempt a Conversion. And by that time... I am confident I will have reached Lv.5, perhaps even higher. When that day comes, I'd love to see who in all of Orario has the power to snatch someone from my hands."
"...Reach Lv.5 in one year?"
Eina desperately wanted to tell him, 'Mr. Aiden, aren't you a little too confident? Has the success gone to your head?' If anyone else had said that, she would have physically slapped them in the face with the Guild rulebook to teach them some basic common sense.
But then she remembered that Aiden was already Lv.3. And according to his own timeline, it had been less than two months since he received his Falna. Less than two months, and he had jumped two entire levels.
With a leveling speed that rockets couldn't catch up to, reaching Lv.5 in a year... suddenly didn't sound like a fairy tale.
Eina fell silent. Her brain whirred at maximum capacity, finally comprehending this masterful, open conspiracy Aiden had orchestrated.
He was right.
The Guild—or rather, Ouranos—would treat Robin as a strategic asset and protect her. It was the exact same situation as Airmid, the "Battlefield Saint" of the Dian Cecht Familia. She possessed the city's strongest healing magic, capable of practically giving her Familia members second or third lives in the middle of a battle. Yet she safely remained in her own Familia, and neither Loki nor Freya ever actually made a move to steal her.
As for the "If I can't have her, I'll destroy her" mentality? That was even more impossible. As long as they weren't Evil Gods, the deities loved the lower world. They yearned for heroes to emerge and save it. Robin's existence was too vital to the entire adventurer populace; an unspoken pact would naturally form among the gods, forbidding anyone from using underhanded means to assassinate her.
Just like Airmid, Robin would exist under the gods' tacit protection.
Therefore, Aiden wasn't worried in the slightest that exposing her skill would draw fatal trouble. There would be annoyances, sure, but as Aiden had said, the Guild would handle them.
People with value act without fear; people without value face the same struggles everywhere. This cruel, pragmatic rule of reality was vividly embodied in Orario.
Bidding farewell to Eina, who was still in a slight daze as her entire worldview was repeatedly refreshed and rebooted, Aiden and the others left the Guild Headquarters.
"Aiden!"
Just as he stepped out the door, someone called his name. A familiar, youthful voice made him instinctively turn around.
He saw an iconic orange ponytail drawing a lively arc through the air. Paired with an elegant dress, pristine white tights, and cute heels, the approaching figure was none other than Lefiya of the Loki Familia.
"Lefiya?" Aiden and the group stopped, looking in confusion at the elf girl running toward them, slightly out of breath.
"Aiden! I finally caught you!" Lefiya stopped in front of him, resting her hands on her knees and panting lightly. "Do you have time? Come with me somewhere."
"You guys head back first. I'll catch up later," Aiden told Robin and the others.
Robin, Tifa, Hyacine, and Jeanne all nodded knowingly. They politely waved to Lefiya and headed off.
"Spill it. What's up? Where are we going?" Aiden asked, turning back to Lefiya once his companions were gone.
"Lady Riveria wants to meet you. She has a few questions. Follow me," Lefiya said, seemingly in a rush as she grabbed Aiden by the wrist without another word, dragging him toward a nearby alleyway.
The two navigated through several intersecting alleys, soon arriving in front of a cafe named "V-Xian" in the Sixth District of the southwest sector.
"This shop is run by elves from my hometown. A lot of our people like to come here," Lefiya whispered, introducing the place as she pulled him inside.
The moment he stepped into the cafe, Aiden felt a serene atmosphere that sharply contrasted with the bustling streets outside. He was led straight to a second-floor balcony that overlooked the quiet avenue below.
Seated at a table on the balcony was an elven royal with cascading emerald hair and an air of supreme elegance. She had been waiting for quite some time.
"Lady Riveria, I brought him. I... I'll take my leave now."
Lefiya said the words, but her petite heels seemed glued to the floor. She didn't move an inch. Her large, curious eyes darted back and forth between Aiden and Riveria. Clearly, the mystery of why Riveria wanted to see Aiden was scratching at her heart like a cat.
Riveria chuckled, her eye crinkling in amusement, before she smiled gently. "Mr. Aiden, I apologize for the sudden intrusion. Please, have a seat. Lefiya, you sit down as well."
"Is... is that really okay?" Lefiya feigned hesitation, but her body was remarkably honest. She moved even faster than Aiden, instantly sliding into the seat next to Riveria and eagerly grabbing the coffee pot, voluntarily taking up the duty of pouring the drinks.
"Lady Nine Hell, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Aiden sat across from Riveria, genuine curiosity coloring his expression. He truly had no idea why the Loki Familia's Vice-Captain and Orario's strongest mage would want to see him.
"Just Riveria is fine." She accepted the coffee Lefiya poured, took a graceful sip, and said slowly, "Actually, I've wanted to invite you for a chat ever since your War Game with the Apollo Familia ended. But considering how busy you must have been recently, I didn't want to intrude."
"I see. I think I can guess what Miss Riveria wants to ask." Aiden picked up his own cup, taking a sip as a knowing smile surfaced on his face.
"Oh? Let's hear it." Intrigue sparked in Riveria's emerald eyes.
"It's about my magic, isn't it?" Aiden set his cup down deliberately, his voice lowering slightly. "After all, I haven't had much interaction with you before this. Thinking it over, the only thing about me that could possibly catch your attention... is my magic."
He knew perfectly well that using Alfia's magic would inevitably draw the attention of those who once knew her.
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